The New ‘Top Chef’ Season Begins Filming With Past Winners and Contestants Returning as Judges

Top Chef is in production again, and will feature a returning slew of familiar faces

With The Great British Bakeoff leading the way for culinary competition shows to resume filming amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Bravo has announced, via its Daily Dish site, that Top Chef has begun filming its 18th season in Portland, Oregon.

According to the network, production is following strict health protocols and has a “safety plan developed in accordance with CDC guidance, all state and local orders, as well as NBCUniversal’s own safety guidelines.”

In a new move for the show, the judging and dining tables will be filled by a rotating group of previous Top Chef winners and contestants, including Kwame Onwuachi, Nina Compton, Dale Talde, and Richard Blais. The Portland season will air in 2021.

And in other news...

• Major companies like PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Walmart pledged to halve food waste by 2030. Let’s hope we make it that far! [Food Dive]
• Schaefer Beer, the one-time signature brew of Ebbets Field, is back in New York. The team it sponsored — the Dodgers — is not. [NYT]
• A new version of the HEROES act, introduced by House democrats, could provide $120 billion in COVID-19 relief to restaurants. [Nation’s Restaurant News]
• But what can restaurants do for YOU? Answer: Offer more reward programs. [CNN]
• Because of extended closures, Michelin will release this year’s guide to Singapore. [Bloomberg]

• All AM Intel Coverage [E]